On October 18, 1844 a sudden
oscillation of water brought on by a raging wind created a tidal wave that
caused the largest loss of life from a natural disaster in Buffalo’s
history. “In terms of loss of life, many of those killed were in the
First Ward environs. When the storm subsided, 78 people had drowned” (Against
the Grain by Timothy Bohen 39). This weather phenomenon, today called
a Seiche [say-sh], is illustrated through the arrangement of suspended rocks,
each hung in remembrance of a life lost. The 78 rocks together illustrate the
standing and propagating waves. The viewer is asked to contemplate the
loss as they experience the wave and read the names of the known victims.